Today we’d like to introduce you to Hari Williams.
Hari Williams is a multitalented actor, writer, and filmmaker who grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, CA. Hari was always an avid reader and spent many afternoons in the library lost in the worlds created in books. Hari’s love for the transformative power of storytelling has roots in his first performances at the Sai Anantam Ashram and Stage Door Theatre at the tender age of six. He soon realized the joy in performance appearing in several high school productions and auditioning for roles in TV and film.
Seeking to expand his knowledge of acting and filmmaking, Hari enrolled in the prestigious theater arts program at Howard University where he earned a BFA and minored in Film Production. He credits his time at the most esteemed HBCU in the land for being instrumental in his personal growth and crafting his artistic voice while being in the company of some of the most beautiful Black people in the world.
Upon his return to Los Angeles, he immediately began working in entertainment, initially behind the camera, as both PA and intern learning the business of film, but always building his acting resume. He can be seen currently in the feature comedy “It’s a Party!” on Showtime and the disaster drama “Ocean’s Rising” streaming on Netflix. His lead performances in award-winning short films “Mid-City Blue” (HBO Best Narrative Short, MVAAF) and the hilarious romantic comedy “Stuck”(Jury Award, Diversity in Cannes Showcase) highlight his dynamic ability to bring truth to stories of both comedic and dramatic varieties.
He has also lent his voice to video game titles including the incredibly successful Resident Evil franchise in the most recent release, “Biohazard” and the groundbreaking narrative audio drama “Bronzeville” produced by Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne available on Spotify.
Hari launched his company, Thought Collective Productions, in a continued effort to harness the power of visual storytelling to cut through the artifice of our mundane daily interaction by opening our minds and capturing our hearts. Since Thought Collective’s inception, the creative team has been active, producing short films and digital content while developing television and feature film projects that push the culture and the conversation forward. One such project that they’re actively taking meetings for is “Unpacked,” a sketch comedy discussion series that dissects issues like overzealous nationalism, sexual honesty, and the ever-present danger of being Black in public, with a sharply comedic scalpel. The show aims to create a space for dialogue and expanded understanding while also being really funny. The show recently added Bentley Kyle Evans as an Executive Producer and is actively seeking credible pitch opportunities and partnerships.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road to where I am currently has been far from smooth, it has been a series of challenges: personal, professional, financial, and more. I’ve had less than a dollar to my name, been heartbroken, and unemployed, sometimes all at once. I chose to face these challenges not because they were enjoyable, quite the opposite actually, but because I believed and still do, that if I was able to endure hardship for the sake of actualizing my vision, it would ultimately be worth the cost. I have yet to see my vision fully come to fruition, but I am certainly closer to it than I once was and facing the fears that I have along the way have only fortified my resolve to persevere until I achieve my vision of success.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Thought Collective Productions – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I launched Thought Collective Productions with the intention of bringing to life stories that combat social maladies like racism and inequality using the power of narrative to break down barriers and foster greater levels of understanding. There are many ways to accomplish this task, and we aren’t limited by genre or subject matter. We work across formats having produced digital and short film projects, with TV and feature film projects in various stages of development. Our comedic short film, “2 Black Cops in FerguSanford, USA,” recently screened at the Wiltern Theater as part of Gentleman Jack’s “Real to Reel Showcase.” In the tradition of “Chappells’s Show,” one of our shows, “Unpacked” uses razor-sharp satire and open discussion to cut through limiting beliefs and lay bare truth.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to be one of the most respected and sought after actor/creators in the entertainment industry. I plan to use my platform as a means to create more opportunities to change the narrative about Black folks and other oppressed people in this country. There is an ever-growing list of projects that I’m excited about creating, one being the historical action/drama feature film, “Unconquered.” The film set in pre-Civil War Florida tells the resilient true story of John Horse, a half-Black, half-Seminole man who led his people in a series of uprisings against Andrew Jackson and the US Army that led to the largest slave rebellion in American history. ‘Unconquered’ recently advanced to the Quarterfinals of the prestigious Academy Nicholls Writing Fellowship placing it in the top 5% of scripts submitted.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @HariWilliams
- Twitter: @HariWilliams
Image Credit:
Miles Maker
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